This quick and easy strawberry green asparagus salad recipe with vegan feta and simple balsamic vinaigrette is absolutely delicious, healthy, low carb and ready in just 15 minutes!
The Best Asparagus Salad with Strawberries
If you know and love grandma’s classic asparagus salad, you should definitely try this vegan recipe with fruity strawberries for a change! It’s a super delicious, light spring and summer salad that’s perfect for asparagus season! Plus, it contains no eggs, no grains, and less calories, so it’s not only vegan, gluten-free and lowcarb, but also way healthier than the classic!
Vegan Strawberry Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
While grandma always made her classic mixed asparagus salad with white asparagus, hard-boiled eggs and mayo, this healthier vegan recipe is made with green asparagus, fresh strawberries and a light balsamic mustard dressing. But if you don’t have balsamic at home or don’t like mustard, you can still try the salad, because it tastes delicious even with a simple lemon vinaigrette or creamy yogurt dressing!
Are daisies edible?
Yes! From daisies leaves, buds and flowers are edible. The pretty flowers are suitable for both savory and sweet dishes as an ingredient or edible decoration. Young daisy leaves have a slightly nutty flavor and are reminiscent of lamb’s lettuce in taste. However, the later you harvest them, the more tart and bitter they taste. Like many other wild herbs, daisies are also very healthy, because they contain, among other things, healthy bitter substances and flavonoids.
Asparagus Salad Flavor Variations
This asparagus salad is super quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients. The recipe is super versatile and can be modified any way you like. Instead of strawberries, you can use any other fruit such as watermelon, mango, papaya or a colorful berry mix of blueberries, raspberries and cherries. If you want to make the salad without fruit, you can use different vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, Kalamata olives or whatever you like.
To turn the salad into a filling meal, you could cook pasta, quinoa, couscous, millet, farro or other grains and add them to the salad. Protein-rich legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas or edamame are also a great addition, as they contain not only complex carbohydrates but also a lot of plant protein.
Did you know that there is an asparagus lettuce plant?
“Celtuce”, also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce or Chinese lettuce, is a type of lettuce with a thick stem that is easy to grow at home. Raw, the stalks taste like mild kohlrabi – somewhat sweet yet slightly bitter. When roasted or steamed, they taste more like asparagus or broccoli. Because asparagus salad retains its crunchiness well, it is especially popular in Asian stir-fry dishes.
How to harvest asparagus salad?
You can sow the seeds in the cold frame or greenhouse starting in March. It does not need to be particularly warm, as the seeds are insensitive to late spring frosts. However, pre-breeding on the windowsill is also well possible.
Ingredients and possible alternatives
For the salad
- Asparagus: white or green asparagus. Feel free to add other cooked or fresh vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, kohlrabi, cucumbers or crisp cherry tomatoes.
- Strawberries: or other fruits such as melon, mango, berries, peaches, nectarines or grapes.
- Arugula: or other greens such as lamb’s lettuce, romaine lettuce, lollo rosso, baby spinach.
- Herbs: such as chives, wild garlic and basil.
- Vegan Feta: or other cheese alternatives like Vegan Mozzarella. Cashew Ricotta blobs or avocado are also delicious in the salad!
- Pine nuts: or other nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds.
- Decoration: optional fresh mint, daisies, lemons or whatever you like!
Asparagus Salad Dressing
- Olive oil: I recommend using extra virgin olive oil.
- Balsamic vinegar: or white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Agave syrup: or maple syrup or vegan honey.
- Mustard: yellow or dijon mustard.
- Garlic: or red onion or shallots.
- Salt and black pepper
How to make Strawberry and Asparagus Salad
As always, I recommend checking out the recipe video and step-by-step instructions first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with the exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Cook asparagus and chop strawberries
First, wash the asparagus, trim off the woody ends and peel the bottom third of the spears if needed. Cut the asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces (cut thick spears in half lengthwise) and cook in a pot of salted water for about 5 minutes until crisp tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, then rinse and drain to stop the cooking process. Meanwhile, wash the strawberries, pat them dry, remove the stalk and cut them into pieces. Wash and shake dry the arugula and herbs as well. Finely chop the chives and part of the basil.
Step 2: Whip up the dressing and toast the pine nuts
For the dressing, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave syrup, mustard, pressed garlic and some salt and pepper in a cup (or put all the ingredients in a jar, then close and shake vigorously).
Toast the pine nuts in a pan without additional oil until golden brown. Then remove and set aside.
Step 4: Serve!
Place the asparagus in a large bowl with the arugula, strawberries, chopped herbs and vegan feta cheese. Pour the dressing on top and toss well. Arrange the salad on plates and garnish with the toasted pine nuts, remaining basil leaves, some mint and daisies (yes, they are edible ;)). Top off with a squeeze of lemon juice if desired and serve with any side dishes such as potatoes, risotto or fresh bread. Bon appetit!
How long can you eat asparagus salad?
Leftovers of asparagus salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about one to two days.
This strawberry asparagus salad recipe is:
- Quick and easy to make
- Gluten free
- Healthy
- Low calorie
- Low-carb
- Versatile
- Fresh and fruity
- Very delicious!
- Perfect as a side dish for lunch or dinner!
What do I cook today with asparagus?
Asparagus goes great in salads, soups and pasta, gnocchi or classic with potatoes and vegan hollandaise sauce. Here are some more delicious asparagus recipes for you to try.
- Creamy Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Asparagus
- Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Roasted Asparagus with Tomatoes and Feta
- Pasta Primavera
- Lemon Pasta with Asparagus
- Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
- Creamy Asparagus Risotto
- Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
Recipe Video
If you try this easy asparagus salad recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a photo of your refreshing summer salad and share it on Instagram or Facebook, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka so I don’t miss your post! Have fun trying it out! 😊
Asparagus Salad with Strawberries, Arugula and Vegan Feta
Author:Ingredients
Salad
- 17.6 oz (500) asparagus white or green
- 1 cup (200 g) fresh strawberries or other fruits
- 2 handfuls of arugula or other greens
- fresh herbs e.g. chives and basil
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 clove of garlic pressed
- salt and pepper to taste
For garnish (optional)
- ⅔ cup (100 g) vegan feta or mozzarella or avocado
- 3 tbsp pine nuts or other nuts/seeds
- mint & daisies
- lemon
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video + step-by-step instructions above!
- Wash the asparagus, cut off the woody ends and peel the bottom third of the spears if needed. Cut the asparagus spears into pieces (cut thick spears in half lengthwise as needed) and cook in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until tender. Then rinse with cold water and drain.
- Meanwhile, wash the strawberries, dab them dry, remove the stalk and chop them into pieces. Also wash and shake dry the arugula and herbs. Finely chop the chives and some of the basil.
- For the dressing, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave syrup, mustard, crushed garlic and a little salt and pepper in a jar (or put all the ingredients in a jar, close it and shake vigorously).
- Toast the pine nuts in a pan without additional oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Put the cooked asparagus in a bowl with the arugula, strawberries, chopped herbs and vegan feta. Pour the dressing over the top and mix well.
- Arrange the salad on plates and garnish with toasted pine nuts, remaining basil leaves, some mint and daisies (see: are daises edible?).
- If desired, drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and enjoy! 🙂
Notes
- Want to swap out ingredients or modify the recipe? Here you will find many ideas!
- Do you already know the asparagus lettuce plant?
- Helpful tips and much more information about the recipe, such as storing notes, are mentioned in the blog post above!
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